‘Avoid being a pushover’: ‘tiger mum’ Amy Chua defends her strict parenting style, recommends dash of humour, during Hong Kong trip
- Author of controversial 2011 book says her daughters ‘will probably use the same methods, with more fun’
- Parents should listen to children and know their personalities well, but ‘don’t be a pushover’
Amy Chua, controversial author and the original “tiger mum”, has said strict parenting requires parents to have a sense of humour and a thorough understanding of their children, during her visit to Hong Kong.
Listen to your children, but avoid being a pushover, the Yale law professor and mother of two girls, Sophia and Lulu, has said.
Her 2011 book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, stirred an international debate over her heavy-handed parenting style, but she said her daughters, now 30 and 27, would probably use the same methods, but with more fun.
Chua, who was in Hong Kong for three days last week to deliver a keynote speech at the Asia Society, urged people to read her book to the end, as she backed down a bit eventually.
“The ending of the book was when my younger daughter Lulu started to hate me,” she told the Post.
“She had this angry look, and if I didn’t change and loosen up a little bit, I was going to lose her. And that’s when I adjusted. But I feel like it’s more of an art than a science.”